Child
by valalight
Summary: An infant enters the lives of the Cullen’s. Unable to leave her to humans, they take her in and raise her. What would the human child of vampire turn out to be? Can she live a happy life when a dangerous ‘demon’ is after her? Can they protect her?
1. Chapter 1

_**AN:** a new plot bunny has come! I don't know how often I will update this story, but I do plan on writing more chapters._

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Chapter One: **My life**

My whole life has been spent in constant fear.

My 'Family' has tried to help me through that fear. Telling me that they will protect me, that there was no need to worry as long as they were near by. But what happens when they leave? I can't stay with them forever. This life can only last so long.

I dream of the cold stare of the demon eyed monster who hunts me. He will never give up on his quest to drink my blood.

It started when I was only an infant. A defenseless baby.

My mother died giving birth to me, and my father tried his best to take care of me. His name was Earl J. Lefter…and he was the nephew of a women who supposedly died so many years ago.

But she didn't die…she was reborn as a Vampire at the hands of a man named Carlisle. They now live as husband and wife. But my great aunt never forgot her little sister, and continued to watch over her over the years, and when she died, she watched over her son, and eventually his daughter and that is how she came in to my life.

I was less than a year old, when my father went out to the store to by me some more formula. He couldn't leave me at home alone, so he took me with him.

I cried as he walked down the street in the cold December weather. He tried to comfort me, but no matter what he did, I wouldn't stop my wails.

Maybe I knew that would be the last time I would be with my biological father.

Earl had no idea that in the shadows a demon stalked him. Blood lust consuming him to attack an innocent man holding a child.

Within an instant my father was thrown to the ground. He shielded me from the blow to the best of his ability. I'm still grateful to him.

"I've never smelled blood more appetizing" the demon snarled.

But my father was confused. This demon looked human. His features-- almost a perfect representation of beauty…besides his blood red eyes.

"what do you want?" my father screamed in confusion. "please don't harm my baby" he pleaded.

My father was a loving man…I wish I had gotten to know him better. But alas I never will. He was stolen from me that night by the hands of the demon.

But it wasn't my fathers fault. The demon confused our scents. He thought that my blood was his. An understandable mistake considering he was holding me very close to himself. He attacked my father and devoured him; I was cast to the side, on the cold cement ground.

It didn't take long for the monster to notice that my blood smelled more appetizing than my fathers.

I would have been dead in that instant if she hadn't come.

By chance she lived close by with her family. By chance she was outside and smelled my father's spilt blood. But it was to late for him, and she could see that; she instantly noticed me and was by my side in a split second-cradling me in her cold arms

The demon was taken back. Confused as to why another of his kind would interfere.

Carlisle was then by his wife's side, protecting her. Along with their sons, Emmet and Edward.

The demon knew he was no match for four, and fled in fear.

I continued to cry as I was held close to the chest of my great aunt.

"He wants her blood" snarled Edward

"Hers? She's just a baby!" Esme replied in disbelief

"She's a singer to him. He couldn't resist. He'll come back as soon as we leave her" Edwards's voice was fierce in rage.

"Lets go back to the house. Emmet, track him." Carlisle ordered.

"Finally some action!" Emmit said before he took off in amazing speed after the Demon.

They returned with me back to their home. Rosalie and Alice crowding Esme, beaming with maternal instincts.

"what was he thinking Edward?" Esme asked

"he's never encountered blood that smelled so good to him. He was consumed with the need to devourer her…even though she's just a child." his voice almost a growl.

"I saw into his mind…he won't give up on feeding on her. He'll wait."

"I won't let him get her!" Esme protested

"of course. We'll make sure she is safe." Carlisle comforted his wife.

"Alice, what do you see?" he said looking toward his 'daughter'

The small women, stood frozen for a moment before regaining her composer; a look of distaste on her face. Edward growled.

"I see us bringing her to the authorities…then him coming back, killing her foster parents along with her. He wont give up on it." Her voice was stern

"I wont let him get her, we have to kill him" Esme said looking down to the small bundle in her arms.

The scene was interrupted by Emmet storming in the house.

"No can do, he's long gone. I've never seen someone so fast. He must have got on a small airplane or something." He grumbled.

"So now all we can do is keep her!" Alice chimed in, how look of distaste, now a look of joy.

And they did. There was no other option.

Countless times they decided—for the best of me—to bring me to human parents, and each time Alice foresaw him coming back for me.

Over the years there were a few encounters. Each time Edward got another glance into his twisted mind. But each time he escaped.

"He's waiting for her to grow older now….more blood. Like aging a fine wine, is how he sees it."

And so I stayed with them. A human in a home of vampires. A dangerous thing indeed. But all of them quickly became accustomed to me. Even Jasper could be alone in a room with me with out fear of loosing control. He once told me, I reminded him of his cousin, and the tough of harming me disgusted him.

Esme, my great aunt, was now my mother. And Carlisle, my father.

And I-- I was no longer Marie E. Lefter.

I am now Marie Elizabeth Cullen.


	2. Chapter 2

_AN: the chapter is short, but I think this story may be short (I have no idea at this point)_

_Please review and tell me what you think_

_Reviews are like candy_

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**Chapter two: fear**

As a child I saw the word through a different perspective then most children. To me, moving around every 3 years was perfectly normal and acceptable. To me, changing my last name every now and then was to be expected. To me, being the only person in a household of eight who slept and ate was just another factor in life.

To me, keeping secrets and telling lies came natural.

I remember my first day of kindergarten. The parents were to come with the kids to school to help the transaction, and so that they could meet the teacher.

I entered the small colorful room, holding the hands of Esme and Carlisle, my mom and dad, in fear. I had spent my whole life with my family close by…always within reach if I fell. Always there to protect me. This was the first day I would begin my life 'apart' from them. "Don't be scared Marie" My dad said down to me in a caring voice.

"but-" my childish voice protested.

"We'll be close by if anything happens." I knew this was true. They couldn't risk leaving me alone for to long, lest the demon comes back.

The last encounter happened last summer. Emmet and Rose brought me to the ocean to swim in the warm water. The cloudy skies overhead, blocking the sun from exposing my family. We laughed and played, and enjoyed ourselves. I insisted that I go out swimming by myself, to prove that I could. I was stubborn and headstrong. I was sure that if they could, I could. They agreed, only because they knew that they could reach me fast enough if anything happened.

And so I swam. Edward told me I was an unusually good swimmer, even for my age. But as I swam a shark laid waiting. He hid his scent by waiting in the water, and yet again, my personal demon came to finish the job he started the day he killed my dad.

Within an instant I was under the water, his cold arms wrapped around me as he swam away with me, with out a care that unlike him, I needed to breath.

The air left my lungs and I felt the life leaving me, but as my vision blurred, from under the water I saw my personal angels come and save me. Emmet was fierce, his rage matched only by the look on the face of Rosalie. I lost consciousness. And awoke in the arms of my dad, Carlisle.

Emmet, Rosalie, Jasper and Edward left to try and track the demon. They returned a week later, with no luck. Yet again he left with out a trace.

After that day, I could no longer sleep by myself without waking up, screaming form nightmares.

Jasper was the one who stayed in my room at night, his mysterious power comforting me, keeping my nightmares at bay, and when he was away, Esme would sing me to sleep, her classic voice, singing a lullaby telling me that in the morning she would still be their.

"And you must Be Marie!" the young kindergarten teach said walking up to us, kneeling in front of me. "I'm Mrs. Littles, are you excited to be here Marie?" she said in a cheery voice.

I backed up and hid behind my father. A chuckle escaping him.

"She a little nervous to be leaving us" he said to her in a charming voice.

The teacher stood and blushed as she looked at him.

"Well that's normal. But soon she'll be complaining about leaving." She said with a small laugh.

"I'm sure" Esme said smiling.

My life continued in that fashion. My family always there to protect me, to keep me form the hands of the demon who hunted me.

I loved them. I was thankful for all that they sacrificed to protect me. But I always knew that I was different form them. Always on the outskirts of what they were.

But I never had the desire to be one of them—a vampire I mean. The thought sent shivers down my spine. For even though I lived with them and loved them; Vampires were the single thing that I feared the most.


	3. Chapter 3

_AN: yay for another chapter! I hope your enjoying the story. I enjoy writing as Marie, she's a different kind of character then I'm use to._

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**Chapter three: thirteen**

"Edward Get out of my mind!" I screamed as I ran up the stairs, to my bedroom, a feeble attempt to escape my mind reading brother.  
"You shouldn't have been thinking so loud" he said laughing.

To my humiliation, my brother had heard every single thought I had concerning the boy from school I had a crush on.

"He's not good enough for you anyway." He added, following me up the stairs nonchalantly.

"Edward! Enough." Demanded Esme as she came from around the corner.

"Stop teasing her."

Edward laughed. He was having too much fun…fun at my expense.

"Your embarrassing her." Jasper said casually as he followed Alice around our home.

Life growing up with a family of vampires (most of whom had special abilities) was interesting to say the least. But now that I was _thirteen_ I wanted some PRIVACY. A non-existent thing when you lived with a brother who could read minds, and a sister who could see the future.

I wanted to get away.

I hated to think that, but it was true. I wanted to go somewhere else. Away from the mind reading, away from the inhuman beauty, away from the lies. I wanted a _normal _family.

Was that too much to ask?

My sulking was interrupted by Alice knocking on my door. "Marie?" she asked in her perfect voice.

"What?" I grumbled in to my pillow that I held to my body.

She opened the door, and peaked in. "Can I talk with you?" her voice was solemn. I knew instantly why she wanted to speak to me…she had seen what I planned to do…. leave.

"Why did I see you running off?" she asked me

"Because you can see into the future," I replied sarcastically. As she took a seat on my large king sized bed." you know that's not what I mean." Her voice lacking the cheerfulness it usually held. "You know what that would do to Esme, she loves you like she was you true mother. We all do. And we're all just trying to keep you safe."

I couldn't argue with her statement. I knew all this. I knew they cared for me. I knew that they had done so much to keep me safe. That running off on my own now would do nothing but worry my mom, and dad, and make my brothers frantic with worry.

"_He's_ still out their Marie…as much as I hate to say it." her voice was almost a whisper. I flinched at her words. We had learned the demons name quiet sometime ago, but we never spoke it…how could a demon hold such an angelic name? His name was Elijah. A beautiful name for a demon of a man.

"What do you see?" I asked my voice not breaking…I was proud of that.

"I see you going to the bus station the next sunny day. Getting on and heading west to Virginia. It's night when you arrive, and…." She didn't need to say the next part. I already knew it. _He_ was their waiting for me.

"Fine I wont go." I said as I put my head back into my pillow. "But I really did want to go to D.C." I mumbled.

"it's a good thing then, that I see Carlisle taking you" she chipped in. My head shot up "Really?" I asked. "Yup!".

And so I didn't run away. I stayed with my _perfect _yet so dysfunctional family.

That night as I sat at the dinner table and ate my (once again take out) food. I thought about my life. Every night was an adventure. Always different and exciting. But I always felt that I was missing so much when I went to sleep or went to school. I knew that the stayed up all night listening to music, playing X-BOX (in Emmett's case), shopping online, doing productive things. Why did I have to be the one to miss out on it all? It wasn't fair. If one of us couldn't stay up that late, none of us should.

"So you want us to pretend to sleep?" Edward said in a small smirk as he came up and sat down at the table with me next to Rosalie; the only other member of the family who sat with me. They made sure that I never ate by myself. (Didn't want me to get lonely or an eating disorder)

"yes. Yes I do." I said in a know it all voice.

"Seems hardly faire" he aid smiling.

"Well you know what." I paused for dramatic effect "I don't care." Edward and I stared at each other's eyes for a minute before both of us broke out into laughter. Rosalie smiled and shook her head at us.

"Marie! Hurry up and finish eating! I want to go out!" Alice shouted from up the stairs.

I blinked in confusion. Since when were we going out shopping? It was a school night and 9:00 at night.

Edward abruptly stood up and left the table. His face stern. Me and Rose looked at each other. "I don't know" she said as she looked at me. "Well then go find out!" I asked her.

I took a few more bites of my spaghetti, before standing up and heading toward the stairs. Before I even reached them, Rose and Alice were by my side. "Come On Marie, you wanted a new dress, right? I know this perfect store that's still open! You can were it tomorrow for school! It is picture day after all" Alice seemed like her usually self, happy and excited. "And I need some new boots" Rosalie added in with a smile.

Something was happing. Usually they made sure that I was in bed every night by 10:00, and never took me out on school nights.

"What's happening?" I asked seriously

"Nothing" Alice sang as she dragged me to her car. Rose close behind.

I kept quiet in the back seat as Alice drove, Rosalie beside me.

"Ok, so why are you getting me out of the house? Anything happening?" I said. My words were followed by silence.

"Some 'visitors' are coming by," Alice said from the front seat. I couldn't see her face but I new she didn't look happy.

"Emmett and Jasper ran in to them while hunting. Their curious about our life style." After that I stayed silent. Watching the world zoom past us. After about 30 minutes of sulking, Rosalie put her hand on my shoulder. "We'll have you back for school tomorrow don't worry" she said gently.

I knew that. I knew that they would take care of everything. I had always put my trust in them. What had me down though, was the fact that even for one night I wish I could have imagined that monsters didn't exist in the world. That Humans were safe in their homes that there was no need to keep an eye on the shadows.

But that wasn't the case. I could never hide from the fact that monster were real, that they did haunt this would at an alarmingly close proximity.


End file.
